The New Normal of Hybrid Work
Hybrid work is no longer an experiment – it’s becoming the default mode for many organizations. Surveys indicate that nearly half of employees (48%) would ideally work in a hybrid model and another quarter prefer fully remote work, while only about 19% actually want to be in the office full-time (Korn Ferry). In fact, as one McKinsey study suggests, over 90% of companies plan to combine remote and on-site work in some form going forward (HBR). This new reality means that the way we meet and collaborate must adapt. Effective hybrid workshops and meetings are crucial for keeping teams aligned, creative, and engaged across distances. If done poorly, hybrid sessions can leave remote participants feeling like second-class citizens – but if done well, they can unlock the full creativity of a distributed team.
I’m Chris, a strategist, lecturer, and facilitator, and I help organizations unlock creativity and alignment through purposeful hybrid experiences. This article shares practical methods, drawn from hands-on experience, for designing hybrid workshops that truly work.
Why Hybrid Workshops Fail (and How to Fix Them)
Running a workshop with both in-person and remote participants is uniquely challenging. Those in the physical room naturally enjoy face-to-face context, easy side conversations, and non-verbal cues – benefits that can lead to deeper insights. However, it’s easy for co-located teammates to unintentionally overlook or talk over colleagues on the call, leaving remote folks disengaged. On the other hand, remote participants can enrich discussions with digital tools and rapid access to resources. The goal is to bridge the gap so both groups interact as equals.
Hybrid workshops test facilitation skills. To succeed, you need:- Clear structure that balances participation
- Accessible tools for real-time collaboration
Empathetic facilitation that includes all voices
When designed intentionally, hybrid workshops become opportunities for richer, more diverse outcomes.
Plan Ahead for Inclusive Collaboration
Successful hybrid meetings start before the meeting. Careful planning and setup can eliminate many inequalities between co-located and remote team members:
Optimize the Environment: The right space makes a difference for creativity and comfort. If you’re in the office, choose a conference room equipped for hybrid work – with quality video conferencing screens, cameras, and microphones so remote attendees can see and hear clearly. For remote participants, encourage them to find a comfortable, quiet space. (In one recent creative workshop I facilitated, I learned that cramped home tables or noisy spots can really limit creativity – environment matters for everyone!). If physical materials will be used (prototypes, whiteboards, even LEGO® bricks in playful sessions), send out kits or digital alternatives in advance so remote folks can fully participate.
Timing is Everything: Schedule hybrid workshops at a time when energy is high for all attendees. Avoid very late or extra-early meetings that might force some participants into “after-hours” fatigue – tired minds lead to less engagement and creativity. Whenever possible, choose a window that accommodates various time zones fairly. And build in breaks at least every 60–90 minutes for longer workshops; virtual attendees especially will appreciate time to recharge away from the screen. A well-timed session (preferably not at the end of a long workday) keeps everyone alert and involved.
Test Tech and Logistics: Do a dry run of the technology beforehand. Ensure the video conferencing link, room camera, screen sharing, and any interactive apps are all functioning. Test audio in the room to avoid echo or feedback – for example, a good practice is to have in-person attendees join the virtual meeting on their laptops with cameras on but mute their mics and speakers, using a single conference room speaker for audio. This way, everyone can see each other’s faces in gallery view, and remote participants aren’t stuck staring at one wide shot of a distant conference table. Such setups allow every participant to read facial expressions and body language, fostering empathy and understanding that would be lost with a single camera.
Set Clear Goals and Agenda: Just as with any workshop, define the purpose and outcomes up front. Share an agenda that alternates between presentation, discussion, and activities, to keep both remote and in-person participants engaged. Plan any breakout groups carefully (e.g. will you have separate virtual breakouts and in-room huddles, or mix them?) so no one ends up isolated. Having a structured plan helps ensure the hybrid format serves the meeting’s goals, rather than impeding them.
By front-loading your preparation this way, you create a foundation where technology and logistics fade into the background and humans can truly collaborate.
Tools and Tech to Level the Playing Field
Modern problems require modern tools. In hybrid collaboration, technology is the great equalizer – if used thoughtfully. Here are some tool strategies to make remote and in-office teammates collaborate as seamlessly as if they were all in one room:
Digital Whiteboards for Shared Brainstorming: Visual collaboration platforms like Miro, Mural, or Figma’s FigJam are extremely effective for hybrid workshops. They provide an infinite canvas where everyone can add sticky notes, sketches, or diagrams in real time. Research shows that using such tools gives every team member a “voice” through written ideas, preventing only the loudest voices from dominating – redagile.com.
Interactive Polls and Q&A: Quick polling apps like Mentimeter, Slido, or Zoom’s built-in polls are great levelers of input. They let you ask a question and instantly collect responses from everyone, which you can then display to the group. This not only makes meetings more interactive, but encourages input from people who might not speak up. Likewise, using a Q&A platform or chat for questions allows remote participants to voice queries without having to jump in verbally. Well-designed technology can create a shared experience and real-time feedback loop, regardless of location – blog.insynctraining.com.
Robust Video and Audio Equipment: Don’t skimp on the hardware that connects your team. High-quality video cameras (or smart 360° conference cams) and microphones/speakers are essential so that voices don’t drop out and faces are visible. When possible, give remote participants a larger presence in the meeting room – for example, dedicate a monitor or projector to showing the video gallery view of remote colleagues. This avoids the scenario of one tiny laptop in the boardroom representing all remote attendees.
Centralized Collaboration Hubs: Aside from live meeting tools, consider using shared digital hubs where workshop outputs live. For example, a Confluence page, Google Docs, or Notion workspace where all participants can asynchronously add notes or ideas before and after the session helps sustain collaboration. It also creates a reference that everyone, regardless of location, can access later.
Each tool should serve everyone, not just the co-located group. In summary, pick a balanced toolkit and stick to it. The key is that everyone uses the same tools, so no one is stuck on the sidelines. When technology is leveraged to create a shared virtual space, creativity flows freely across the hybrid divide.
Techniques for Engaged Hybrid Facilitation
Even with great tools and planning, the human element of facilitation is what truly makes a hybrid workshop successful. Leaders and facilitators must adopt new techniques to ensure inclusive engagement and prevent any participant from feeling like a second-class attendee. Here are some battle-tested facilitation strategies for hybrid meetings:
Co-create ground rules: At the start of the session, work with the group to set a few ground rules or a “social contract” for how you’ll communicate and collaborate. This could include agreements like “one person speaks at a time”. Co-creating these rules makes everyone feel responsible for an inclusive atmosphere. (e.g. no side chats, Zoom hand-raise, visible cameras).
Rotate voices deliberately to invite remote participants early. In a hybrid meeting, it’s easy for the people in the room to end up speaking first and most often. To counteract this, facilitators can intentionally rotate speaking order or assign roles that even out participation. One tip is to invite remote participants to speak early in a discussion, before the in-room debate takes over. (For example: “Let’s hear from someone on the video call to start us off.”)
Use hybrid buddy systems so each remote person is supported. A powerful technique to avoid remote participants getting lost in the shuffle is pairing each remote attendee with an in-person buddy. This buddy (an in-room team member) ensures their remote partner is always in the loop. It essentially humanizes the virtual participant’s presence in the room. This sets an expectation that remote voices carry equal weight.
Design alternate formats like silent brainstorms or breakout parity. To keep everyone engaged, vary the activities and formats in your workshop. Attention can lag if, say, the remote people are always just listening while the in-person group does an activity on the wall.
Balance attention as a facilitator between in-room and on-screen presence. Be very conscious to split your focus between those in front of you and those on the screen. Make a point to frequently scan the virtual gallery for hands raised or facial expressions, and invite input from those who haven’t spoken. Eye contact with the camera is as important as eye contact with people across the table. Great facilitators learn to “read the room” in two places at once – the physical and the virtual.
These principles help avoid the “second-class citizen” trap for remote attendees.
Lessons from Experience
Over time, I’ve found a few simple practices can make a huge difference in hybrid collaboration:
Space and Setup Matter – Both physical and virtual space affect creativity. A thoughtfully arranged room with ample whiteboard space and a well-organized virtual workspace can boost engagement.
Mind the Energy Curve – Don’t underestimate the impact of timing. I once ran an interactive workshop after 5 pm and, unsurprisingly, the remote folks were fading fast (some had already logged a full day of work). Now I schedule important collaborative sessions when everyone’s energy and attention are at their peak, even if it means accommodating odd hours for myself. The creativity you get at 10 am versus 8 pm is drastically different.
The Right Tools, Not Too Many – I recall a session where we ambitiously tried six different apps at once – it became a circus of context-switching and confusion. Lesson learned: pick a balanced toolkit and stick to it.
Stay Neutral – Facilitate, Don’t Dominate – Especially when I facilitate my own team’s workshops, I remind myself to step back. It’s harder than it sounds! I’ve learned to explicitly state that I’m switching into facilitator role and even set “ground rules” for myself. By consciously maintaining neutrality and encouraging others to lead segments or share first, we get more honest input.
Train Leaders for Hybrid Success
Organizations should provide training and support for managers, team leads, and anyone who regularly runs workshops so they can develop a hybrid mindset.
Why is this so important? Leaders heavily influence team culture and participation. If a manager unconsciously favors the people in the office (a common bias), remote employees will quickly feel undervalued or distrustful. Unfortunately, about 1 in 2 workers (49%) suspect that their managers perceive in-office employees as working harder or being more trustworthy than remote staff – resources.owllabs.com. This kind of perception gap can erode team cohesion.
Training should include:
- Basics of remote inclusion
- Tools and troubleshooting
Coaching techniques for distributed teams
Forward-thinking companies must address it by coaching leaders to eradicate proximity bias – for instance, by measuring performance on results, not visibility, and by explicitly recognizing remote contributions in meetings.
Conclusion: Your Next Great Workshop Is Hybrid
Hybrid workshops are no longer optional. They are essential. With thoughtful design, the right tools, and inclusive facilitation, they can be even more effective than in-person-only formats.
For organizations engaged in ongoing consultations, whether with internal stakeholders or external partners, integrating both physical and virtual workshop formats offers agility and reach.
Rather than treating hybrid as a compromise, think of it as a continuum: one where teams can shift seamlessly between in-person co-creation and remote iteration.
Start small. Blend formats. Design for continuity. And see how your collaborative efforts grow when participation is both flexible and intentional. Let’s build smarter systems of engagement, together, across every space.
Internal Links
- Learn more on my Workshops page
- Also read: The Rise of Transcendent Leadership
